CN106965724A - Mechanical, hand-driven leg tilting gearing - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle seating assembly includes a seat frame. The support bracket is rotatably connected to the seat frame, and is connected to a front cushion tube that supports the front of the seat. The spindle bracket is operatively connected to the frame. The positioning fixture includes a spring-biased piston rotatably connected to the spindle carrier. The housing is slidably connected to the piston, operable between forward and rearward positions, and rotatably connected to a clamp mounting bracket fixedly connected to the support bracket. A release lever is operably connected to the positioning clamp, is operable between a locked position and a released position, and is spring biased to the locked position. A release handle is operably connected to the release lever and is configured to disengage the release lever from the locked position, thereby allowing sliding movement of the housing in a longitudinal direction relative to the housing.

Description

Mechanical Manual Leg Tilt Device

technical field

The present invention relates generally to a vehicle seating assembly, and more particularly to a thigh support for a vehicle seating assembly having a mechanical manual leg reclining device.

Background technique

Modern vehicle seats are becoming more and more comfortable as our knowledge of ergonomics, posture and comfort has further increased. Vehicle seating assemblies including vehicle seat backs and comfort components in the vehicle seats can provide drivers and passengers with improved comfort and increased durability for extended vehicle travel. Additionally, drivers and passengers of all sizes and shapes present challenges when providing a vehicle seating assembly. Accordingly, vehicle seating assemblies that include components that accommodate drivers and passengers of different sizes and sizes, as well as the desired postures and sitting positions of those drivers and passengers, have become increasingly important.

Contents of the invention

According to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle seating assembly includes a seat frame. The support bracket is rotatably connected with the seat frame. The support bracket is connected to the front cushion tube that supports the front of the vehicle seat. A spindle bracket is operatively connected to the frame. The positioning fixture includes a spring-biased piston rotatably connected to the spindle carrier. The housing is slidably connected to the piston and is operable between forward and rearward positions. The housing is rotatably connected with the clamp mounting bracket. The jig mounting bracket is fixedly connected to the support bracket. A release lever is operably connected to the positioning clamp and is operable between a locked position and a released position. The release lever is spring biased to the locked position. A release handle is operably connected to the release lever and is configured to disengage the release lever from the locked position, thereby allowing sliding movement of the housing in a longitudinal direction relative to the housing. Lateral movement of the housing between the forward and rearward positions rotates the support bracket between the raised and lowered positions, respectively, which results in vertical movement of the support bracket, front seat cushion tube and the front of the vehicle seat.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle seat assembly includes a support bracket that supports a seat and is rotatably connected with a seat frame. The positioning fixture includes a piston rotatably connected to the frame. The housing is slidably connected to the piston and rotatably connected to the support bracket. A release lever is connected to the positioning clamp and is operable to release the clamp to allow lateral movement of the housing and vertical movement of the support bracket and seat.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle seat thigh support assembly includes a support bracket rotatably connected to a seat frame. The positioning fixture includes a piston rotatably connected to the support bracket. The housing is slidably connected to the piston and rotatably connected to the support bracket. The release assembly is operable between a locked position and a released position. Sliding movement of the housing relative to the piston rotates the support bracket upwards, causing upward movement of the seat.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle seat thigh support assembly includes a support bracket rotatably connected to a seat frame. A positioning clamp is provided that is biased to raise the thigh support assembly to a raised position. A lever is provided to allow a user to apply weight to the vehicle seat thigh support assembly. The vehicle seat thigh support assembly is lockable between multiple raised and lowered positions. The disclosed structure provides a strong and affordable, yet lightweight structure that provides increased comfort for the occupant.

These and other aspects, objects and features of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon study of the following specification, claims and drawings.

Description of drawings

In the attached picture:

1 is a top perspective view of one embodiment of the vehicle seating assembly of the present invention disposed in a vehicle;

2 is a top perspective view of the vehicle seating assembly of FIG. 1;

Figure 3 is a bottom perspective view of one embodiment of the manual leg tilt assembly of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a top perspective view of a positioning jig used in a manual leg tilt assembly;

Figure 5 is a top perspective exploded view of the positioning fixture of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a bottom perspective view of one embodiment of the pivotal connection between the piston and the spindle carrier;

Figure 7 is a side perspective view of the manual leg tilt assembly of Figure 3 with the release lever in the locked position;

7A is a bottom perspective view of the manual leg tilt assembly of FIG. 3 with the release lever in the released position;

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of the manual leg recline assembly with the front seat tube of the seat in the raised position; and

8A is a side elevational view of the manual leg recline assembly with the front seat tube of the seat of FIG. 8 in a lowered position.

detailed description

For purposes of this description, the terms "upper," "lower," "right," "left," "rear," "front," "vertical," "horizontal," and words derived therefrom shall be The orientation in Figure 1 is relevant to the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the invention may assume various alternative orientations, except as expressly stated to the contrary. It should also be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the drawings and shown in the following description are merely exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined by the claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics related to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless expressly stated otherwise in the claims.

In this document, relative terms such as first and second, top and bottom, etc. are used only to distinguish one entity or action from another, and do not necessarily require or imply between such entities or actions any actual such relationship or order. The term "comprises (present tense)", "comprises (present continuous)" or any other variation thereof, is intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion such that a process, method, article, or apparatus comprising a series of elements does not only include Instead, those elements may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeding by "comprising a" - without further limitation - does not preclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that contains the element.

Referring to the embodiment generally shown in FIGS. 1-8A , reference numeral 10 generally designates a vehicle seating assembly having a seat frame 12 . The support bracket 14 is rotatably connected with the seat frame 12 . The support bracket 14 is connected to a front seat cushion tube 16 that supports the front portion 18 of the vehicle seat 20 . The spindle bracket 22 is operatively connected to the seat frame 12 . The positioning fixture 24 includes a spring biased piston 26 rotatably connected to the spindle carrier 22 . Housing 28 is slidably connected to piston 26 and is operable between forward and rearward positions. The housing 28 is rotatably connected with the clamp mounting bracket 30 . The jig mounting bracket 30 is fixedly connected to the support bracket 14 . The release lever 32 is operatively connected to the positioning clamp 24 and is operable between a locked position and a released position. The release lever 32 is spring biased to the locked position. A release handle 34 is operably connected to the release lever 32 and is configured to disengage the release lever 32 from the locked position, thereby allowing sliding movement of the housing 28 in a longitudinal direction relative to the housing 28 . Lateral movement of the housing 28 between the front and rear positions rotates the support bracket 14 between the raised and lowered positions, respectively, which causes the support bracket 14, front seat cushion tube 16 and the front of the vehicle seat 20 to 18 vertical movements.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the present invention is generally directed to a vehicle seating assembly 10 for use in a vehicle 40 (such as a car, truck, van, etc.). It is also contemplated that the concepts set forth in this disclosure may be used in the front or forward seats of the vehicle 40 as well as in the rear seats of the vehicle 40 . As shown, the vehicle seating assembly 10 includes a seat base 42 positioned on track sliders 44 to allow fore-and-aft movement of the vehicle seating assembly 10 relative to the vehicle 40 . The vehicle seat 20 is positioned on and movable relative to the seat base 42 as explained in further detail below. Additionally, the vehicle seating assembly 10 includes a seat back 46 having a lower lumbar region 48 and an upper thoracic region 50 and a head restraint 52 . Each of the components of the seat back 46 may be configured for adjustability to properly support the weight of various occupants within the vehicle 40 .

Referring now to FIG. 3 , the underside of the vehicle seating assembly is shown with the seat cushion removed from the vehicle seating assembly 10 . Support bracket 14 is rotatably connected to seat frame 12 at pivot pin 60 . The pivot pin 60 is juxtaposed rearwardly of the front seat tube 16 . Accordingly, the front seat tube 16 is configured to rotate relative to the pivot pin 60 , which causes the seat tube 16 and the front portion 18 of the vehicle seat 20 to rotate upwardly. The support bracket 14 also includes a plurality of fastener holes 62 configured to receive mechanical fasteners 64 that secure the jig mounting bracket 30 thereto. The jig mounting bracket 30 is rotatably connected with the positioning jig 24 and is configured to rotate relative to the positioning jig 24 . The support bracket 14 and pivot pin 60 are received in a recess 66 defined in the seat frame 12 . The supporting bracket 14 includes a main body 67 and a connecting portion 69 extending perpendicular to the main body 67 . The seat frame 12 also supports a spindle bracket 22 . Spindle bracket 22 is located rearward of pivot pin 60 and includes a generally vertically oriented connection portion 68 and a generally transverse body portion 70 . The rear end 71 of the main body portion 70 includes a downwardly turned lip 72 configured to engage a rotatable fastener 74 at a rear end 75 of the positioning jig 24 .

Referring now to FIG. 4 , the rotatable fastener 74 is operatively connected to the spring-biased piston 26 disposed in the positioning fixture 24 . The piston 26 extends forwardly into a housing 28 which is correspondingly coupled with a clamp mounting bracket 30 . The housing 28 includes an upwardly extending guide wall 80 configured to limit movement of the release lever 32 as the release lever 32 moves between the locked position and the released position. The spring 82 is arranged inside the housing 28 between the fixed washer 83 and the rear inner wall 85 of the housing 28 . In the illustrated embodiment, spring 82 is a compression spring. However, it should be understood that a tension spring that can apply tension between the fixed washer 83 of the housing 28 and the front inner wall 87 (see FIG. 8 ) could also be used.

Referring again to FIG. 4 , the top of the housing 28 includes a longitudinal slot 84 . The release lever 32 disposed between the guide walls 80 is configured to rotate into the locked position, which causes a tightening on the piston 26 and locks the piston 26 in place. Thus, when the release lever 32 is in the locked position, the piston 26 is inhibited from moving between the forward and rearward positions. In the illustrated embodiment, the release lever 32 is in the locked position. However, it should generally be understood that the cable 90 may be configured to extend into the aperture 92 on the release lever 32 and to a location external to the vehicle seating assembly 10 . A user may actuate the lever, which will cause the release lever 32 to move from the locked position to the released position, which will cause the piston 26 to move relative to the housing 28, as will be disclosed in further detail below.

Referring again to FIG. 4 , the housing 28 of the positioning jig 24 also includes a front portion 100 having an aperture 102 extending therethrough. The hole 102 is configured to receive a pin 104 that operably connects the support bracket 14 with the alignment fixture 24 . The pin 104 includes a head 105 that prevents over-insertion of the pin 104 into the hole 102 . As before, the housing 28 of the positioning fixture 24 is free to move forward and backward, but is biased into a forward position due to the pressure exerted by the compression spring 82 at the rear end 75 of the piston 26 proximate to the rotatable fastener 74 .

Referring now to FIG. 5 , the pin 104 also extends through the first and second receiving apertures 110 , 112 of the clamp mounting bracket 30 . Notably, the jig mounting bracket 30 is securely fastened to the support bracket 14 . The first and second receiving apertures 110 , 112 of the clamp mounting bracket 30 are defined through the spherical portions 114 , 116 of the clamp mounting bracket 30 . On the rear end 75 of the piston 26 , the rotatable fastener 74 engages a pin 120 which allows rotational movement of the rotatable fastener 74 and thus the piston 26 relative to the spindle bracket 22 . Accordingly, when the support bracket 14 rotates together with the front cushion tube 16 and the front portion 18 of the vehicle seat 20 , the positioning jig 24 is free to vertically move or rotate. The spindle bracket 22 includes a hole 121 that receives a hole 123 that secures the spindle bracket 22 to the seat frame 12 .

Referring now to Figures 7 and 7A, in use, the manual leg tilt assembly works as follows. An occupant will sit on the vehicle seat 20 . If the occupant feels that additional leg support may be needed under the thighs of the occupant's legs, the occupant may adjust the front portion 18 of the vehicle seat 20 upward. Conversely, if the occupant feels that the front portion 18 of the vehicle seat 20 is raised too high, the occupant may lower the front portion 18 of the vehicle seat 20 .

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 8A , the positioning fixture 24 is in the rearward position associated with the front portion 18 of the vehicle seat 20 in the lowered position. The release handle 34 can be adjusted to pull the cable 90, which causes the release lever 32 to move from the locked position to the released position. Once the release lever 32 has moved from the locked position to the released position, the spring 82 pushes the housing 28 forward in the direction of arrow 130 . As housing 28 slides over piston 26 in a forward direction, pivot pin 104 allows clamp mounting bracket 30 to rotate upward in a clockwise direction (see arrow 132 , FIG. 8 ). As the jig mounting bracket 30 rotates upward and forward, the support bracket 14 also rotates upward and forward. When the support bracket 14 is rotated clockwise, the front cushion tube 16 and thus the front portion 18 of the vehicle seat 20 is also raised. When the occupant has determined that the front portion 18 of the vehicle seat 20 has reached the desired height, the occupant can then release the release handle 34, which causes the release lever 32, which is spring biased to the locked position, to move back to the locked position and relative to the piston 26. The new position on the housing 28 is firmly positioned. The front portion 18 of the vehicle seat 20 is now in a fixed position and is configured to support the forward thighs of the occupant. In the event that the occupant wishes to lower the front portion 18 of the vehicle seat 20, the occupant simply pulls on the release handle 34, which again releases the release lever 32 from the locked position. The release lever 32 is pulled against the spring bias that biases the release lever 32 into the locked position, and the housing 28 is free to move over the piston 26 of the positioning fixture 24 . Thus, under the bias of spring 82 , housing 28 will move forward unless housing 28 is in the fully forward position on piston 26 . In this case, the housing 28 will not move further forward. It is generally contemplated that a stop could be used to prevent further movement of the upper housing of the piston 26, or that the compression spring could simply be brought to a fully expanded state, in which case the compression spring 82 would not push the housing 28 forward over piston 26. If the housing 28 has not reached a fully forward position relative to the piston 26 , the housing 28 will continue to be pushed forward under the spring bias of the spring 82 . Regardless, for an occupant to lower the front portion 18 of the vehicle seat 20 , the occupant simply applies pressure to the front portion 18 of the vehicle seat 20 , causing the front portion 18 of the vehicle seat 20 to lower. Pressure is typically applied by applying the weight of an occupant to the front portion 18 of the vehicle seat 20 . When occupant pressure or load is applied to the front portion 18 of the vehicle seat 20, the front portion 18 of the vehicle seat 20 will begin to lower. Once the desired height has been achieved by the occupant, the occupant can then release the release handle 34 which causes the release lever 32 to move back to the locked position. The release lever 32 now fixes the housing 28 relative to the piston 26 .

The manual leg recline assembly described above provides a simple, easy to use and reliable system that allows easy adjustment of the front of the vehicle seat while maintaining overall cost and weight savings over the entire vehicle seating assembly.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the described configurations and other components of the invention are not limited to any particular material. Other exemplary embodiments of the invention disclosed herein may be fabricated from a variety of materials unless otherwise indicated herein.

For the purposes of the present invention, the term "connected" (in all its forms, present tense, continuous tense, past tense, etc.) generally refers to the direct or indirect engagement of two components (electrical or mechanical) with each other. Such engagement may be fixed in nature or movable in nature. Such joining may be accomplished with the two components (electrical or mechanical) and any additional intermediate elements integral with each other or with the two components forming a single body. Unless otherwise stated, such engagement may be permanent in nature or may be removable or releasable in nature.

It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement of the elements of the invention as shown in the exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the innovation have been described in detail herein, those skilled in the art who read this disclosure will readily appreciate that, without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the described subject matter, Many modifications are possible (for example, changes in the size, dimensions, structure, shape and proportions of various elements, parameter values, installation settings, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.). For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts, or elements shown as multiple parts may be integrally formed, the operation of the interface may be reversed or otherwise altered, the structure and/or elements or connectors or The other elements of the system may vary in length or width, and the nature or number of adjustment positions provided between elements may vary. It should be noted that the elements and/or assemblies of the system may be constructed of any of a variety of different materials that provide sufficient strength or durability, in any of a variety of colors, textures, and combinations thereof. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this innovation. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of desired and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the innovation.

It should be understood that any described process or step within described processes may be combined with other disclosed processes or steps to form structures within the scope of the invention. The exemplary structures and processes disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting.

It is also to be understood that changes and modifications may be made to the foregoing structures and methods without departing from the concept of the present invention, and it is further to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless such Requires otherwise expressly stated through its text.

Claims (19)

1. a kind of seat assembly, comprising：

Seat frame；

Support bracket, the Support bracket is rotatably attached with the seat frame, the Support bracket also with preceding bench hassock tube Connection, the preceding bench hassock tube supports the front portion of seat；

Spindle carrier, the spindle carrier is operably connected with the framework；

Positioning fixture, the positioning fixture includes：

Spring biased piston, the spring biased piston is rotatably attached with the spindle carrier；And

Housing, the housing and the piston are slidably connected and can operated between front and rear position, the housing with Fixture mounting bracket is rotatably attached, wherein the fixture mounting bracket is permanently connected with the Support bracket；

Release lever, the release lever is operably connected with the positioning fixture and can be between latched position and off-position Operation, the release lever is spring-biased to the latched position；And

Release lever, the release lever is operably connected to the release lever and is configured as making the release lever from institute Latched position disengaging is stated, so as to allow housing sliding motion on the longitudinal direction relative to the housing；Wherein described housing Transverse movement between the front and rear position makes the Support bracket be rotated respectively between raised position and reduction position, This causes the anterior vertical motion of the Support bracket, the preceding bench hassock tube and the seat.

2. seat assembly according to claim 1, is further included：

Fastener, the fastener is arranged on the end of the spring biased piston；And

Spring, the spring is arranged between the fastener and the housing.

3. seat assembly according to claim 1, is further included：

Cable is discharged, the release lever is operably connected by the release cable with the release lever.

4. seat assembly according to claim 1, wherein the release lever is arranged on the top of the housing.

5. seat assembly according to claim 1, wherein the spring biased piston is anterior prominent from the housing Go out.

6. seat assembly according to claim 1, wherein the positioning fixture is arranged on below the seat frame.

7. a kind of seat assembly, comprising：

Support bracket, the Support bracket supports seat and is rotatably attached with seat frame；

Positioning fixture, the positioning fixture includes：

Piston, the piston is rotatably attached with the framework；

Housing, the housing is slidably connected with the piston and is rotatably attached with the Support bracket；And

Release lever, the release lever is connected with the positioning fixture and is operable as discharging the fixture allowing the housing Transverse movement and the Support bracket and the seat vertical motion.

8. seat assembly according to claim 7, wherein the housing is rotatably attached with fixture mounting bracket, And wherein described fixture mounting bracket is permanently connected with the Support bracket.

9. seat assembly according to claim 7, is further included：

Release lever, the release lever is operably connected to the release lever and is configured as making the release lever from lock Disengaging is put in positioning, so as to allow housing sliding motion on the longitudinal direction relative to the housing.

10. seat assembly according to claim 7, is further included：

Fastener, the fastener is arranged on the end of the piston；And

Spring, the spring is arranged between the fastener and the housing.

11. seat assembly according to claim 7, is further included：

Cable is discharged, the release lever is operably connected by the release cable with the release lever.

12. seat assembly according to claim 7, wherein the release lever is arranged on the top of the housing.

13. seat assembly according to claim 7, wherein, the anterior of the piston is protruded from the housing.

14. seat assembly according to claim 7, wherein the locating clip is arranged on below the seat frame.

15. a kind of seat thigh support assembly, comprising：

Support bracket, the Support bracket is rotatably attached with seat frame；

Positioning fixture, the positioning fixture includes：

Piston, the piston is rotatably attached with the Support bracket；And

Housing, the housing is slidably connected with the piston and is rotatably attached with the Support bracket；And

Assembly is discharged, the release assembly can be operated between latched position and off-position, wherein the housing is relative to institute Stating the sliding motion of piston rotates up the Support bracket, causes the upward motion of seat.

16. seat assembly according to claim 15, wherein the housing rotatably connects with fixture mounting bracket Connect, and wherein described fixture mounting bracket is permanently connected with the Support bracket.

17. seat assembly according to claim 15, is further included：

Release lever, the release lever is operably connected to release lever and is configured as making the release lever from locking bit Disengaging is put, so as to allow housing sliding motion on the longitudinal direction relative to the housing.

18. seat assembly according to claim 15, is further included：

Fastener, the fastener is arranged on the end of the piston；And

Spring, the spring is arranged between the fastener and the housing.

19. seat assembly according to claim 15, is further included：

Cable is discharged, the release lever is operably connected by the release cable with the release lever.